Road Cycling - What to look for in a starter bike?

hello thar,

this is my first post on the board, this seems to be a very active forum :) .

anyway, i recently decided to get into road biking. i havent ridden much of anything in a while, its probably been 5-6 years since ive ridden any real distance (dont have a bike at all). i went shopping today, just to get a feel for whats out there. looks like to get a decent bike (i at least want a carbon fork) i'll be spending around $1k.

since i havent ridden in a while, i want to make sure i'll stick with it before dropping that kinda cash. i want to spend $50-200 and get an older road bike, use it until winter comes and then decide if i want a new bike in the spring. what should i be looking for in an older bike (features, mantainance, etc) and where are the best places to look for used bikes? Thanks.

Dank, I am a newbie to, so take my advice for the cost, which is $0. First I would read some of the bike fitting post on this forum. Do a search. I have seen some very usable bikes at yard sales for $10. You will want to make sure it fits fairly well. If you decide it is for you buy a "better" bike, and use the yard sale bike as a beater. If you are interested in doing your own repairs it may be a little unnerving to tear apart a $1,000.00 bike, but the yard sale bike will make it easy.

Good Luck,
Richard

hello thar,

this is my first post on the board, this seems to be a very active forum :) .

anyway, i recently decided to get into road biking. i havent ridden much of anything in a while, its probably been 5-6 years since ive ridden any real distance (dont have a bike at all). i went shopping today, just to get a feel for whats out there. looks like to get a decent bike (i at least want a carbon fork) i'll be spending around $1k.

since i havent ridden in a while, i want to make sure i'll stick with it before dropping that kinda cash. i want to spend $50-200 and get an older road bike, use it until winter comes and then decide if i want a new bike in the spring. what should i be looking for in an older bike (features, mantainance, etc) and where are the best places to look for used bikes? Thanks.

You'll probably need to replace the chain and tires and regrease the bearings. Consider it an opportunity to develop bike repair skills.

The old steel Treks are really nice and are a little cheaper than comparable Italian bikes because they lack the same snob appeal. There are a ton of Schwinn LeTour and Super LeTour models out there and they were quite nice. Avoid Varsitys and Continentals unless you want to feel like you're dragging a pallet of boulders.

If you're looking for a steel bike, look for a frame built with quality tubing like Reynolds 531, Ishiwata 022, Columbus SL or Tange 900. Anything built with high tensile steel will feel like an anvil.

Some of my bikes are at:
http://stockdell.org/biking/bikes/

The mercian is new, the Trek and the Bianchi are old.

Dank, I am a newbie to, so take my advice for the cost, which is $0. First I would read some of the bike fitting post on this forum. Do a search. I have seen some very usable bikes at yard sales for $10. You will want to make sure it fits fairly well. If you decide it is for you buy a "better" bike, and use the yard sale bike as a beater. If you are interested in doing your own repairs it may be a little unnerving to tear apart a $1,000.00 bike, but the yard sale bike will make it easy.

Good Luck,
Richard

thanks for the advice. when i was bike shopping yesterday, the salesman had me sit on a bike for fitting reasons. he said a 58 or 57cm would be right for me (i'm 6'1") so im looking for something in that size. i have done some bike work in the past, so i shouldnt have a problem doing a tune up on whatever i find. i will start looking in yard sales to see what i can find. my parents may still have some old road bikes from when they were in college, but i dont know what make or condition they are in.

You'll probably need to replace the chain and tires and regrease the bearings. Consider it an opportunity to develop bike repair skills.

The old steel Treks are really nice and are a little cheaper than comparable Italian bikes because they lack the same snob appeal. There are a ton of Schwinn LeTour and Super LeTour models out there and they were quite nice. Avoid Varsitys and Continentals unless you want to feel like you're dragging a pallet of boulders.

If you're looking for a steel bike, look for a frame built with quality tubing like Reynolds 531, Ishiwata 022, Columbus SL or Tange 900. Anything built with high tensile steel will feel like an anvil.

Some of my bikes are at:
http://stockdell.org/biking/bikes/

The mercian is new, the Trek and the Bianchi are old.

thanks for the advice also, i will try to find something like what you have mentioned here. are there any mantainance issues i should look for though? like stuff that would be expensive to replace that isnt obvious to the untrained eye?